United States boosts defense of Kuwait with additional Patriots

Published February 5th, 2003 - 03:00 GMT

The United States military has significantly strengthened its defense of Kuwait ahead of any invasion of Iraq, by bringing in additional batteries of

The United States military has significantly strengthened its defense of Kuwait ahead of any invasion of Iraq, by bringing in additional batteries of Patriot missiles, according to military officials Tuesday.

Captain Jennifer Schulke, commanding officer of Battery C, said there were currently more Patriot artillery defense batteries in Kuwait than at any time since Desert Storm in 1991.

Kuwait was normally home to two such US batteries, she said, speaking to reporters at a secret location in southern Kuwait, cited by AFP. "We've now got many more, I can't tell you how many, but there are many more coming."

The Patriot has a range of 40 kilometers, but Schulke said targeting was easier from a much closer range. However, she added, "The further out we can shoot them (Scuds), the better for everyone, because they could contain chemical weapons." (Albawaba.com)